


Mirror, Mirror

by Shi_Toyu



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dark Magic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Knight Bucky Barnes, Loss, M/M, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Mirrors, Spells & Enchantments, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Touch-Starved, Unicorns, WinterIron Spring Fling 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 15:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11107278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: Tony doesn't know how long he's been stuck in this mirror since Obie's betrayal, but he's glad that the guy who found it is willing to help him get out.





	Mirror, Mirror

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamingdarkly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingdarkly/gifts).



> For dreamingdarkly. So sorry your original gifter dropped out, sweetheart! Hopefully this makes up for the loss. ;)
> 
> Based on the prompt: “Fantasy AU where Tony is trapped in a hand mirror due to a curse (perhaps after being betrayed by obadiah) and is found by recently escaped from HYDRA knight Bucky. Epic questing ensues as Bucky decides to rescue Tony from the mirror and they help each other heal.”
> 
> Special shout out to my AMAZING betas who powered through this so I could get it out quickly! I'd be lost without you, loves!

_Mirror, Mirror_

_Against the Wall_

_Only One_

_Will Answer the Call_

When the mirror wasn’t in use, Tony didn’t disappear. He wished he did, honestly, but no such luck. Instead he just kind of… existed. He couldn’t _do_ anything, couldn’t even use any of the powerful, albeit limited, magical abilities being trapped in the mirror provided him. He couldn’t see anything, couldn’t hear anything. He didn’t have a body anymore so he couldn’t even _move_. All he could do was think and remember, remember how he’d gotten here, who had put him in this damn mirror.

He’d trusted Obadiah with everything, only to be betrayed. Obadiah had just wanted him out of the way, in the end. He hadn’t even had the balls to kill Tony to do it. Some days, the bad days, Tony wished he had. Anything would be better than this listless existence of _nothing_. He didn’t even have a sense of time anymore.

He didn’t even know how long it was before someone finally found him.

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_Covered in Dust_

_Your Assistance_

_Is a Must_

One moment there was nothing and the next there was _light_ and _sound_ and _movement_. The sudden rush of sensations threatened to overwhelm Tony. He’d gone so long without it. At least he thought he had. He scrambled to figure out what was happening.

The world was a blur, except for the running man holding his mirror aloft. He was clad entirely in black armor, his long hair a mess and his helmet missing. His eyes were wild, only enhanced by the blood that covered half of his face.

“I need a way to escape!” the strange man shouted.

The magic took over without any conscious thought on Tony’s part and the answers poured into his head despite him having absolutely no idea where they came from.

“Take the next right,” he said, knowing the path would be displayed on the mirror’s surface, even though he’d never done this before, “then the third left after that. I’ll give you the next step once you’ve gotten yourself that far, big guy.”

The knight grinned.

“If I make it out of here alive, I am going to owe you _so much_. I don’t how that works and all, owing an inanimate magical object, but it’ll be worth it.”

“Excuse you!” Tony shot back, offended. “I am _not_ an inanimate object, thank you very much. I am a _king._ Or I will be, once I manage to get out of this damn mirror and reclaim my throne.”

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_You Set Me Free_

_Now You’ll Get_

_Some Help from Me_

“Stark?” Bucky asked with a wrinkled nose, and that was a sign Tony _really_ didn’t like. “I don-Oh! Wait, like Howard Stark? He was the king of…”

“Machinor,” Tony supplied helpfully, feeling a bit desperate.

Bucky frowned.

“Tony… Machinor hasn’t existed for nearly two hundred years now…”

If Tony’d had a heart, it would have stopped in his chest.

“ _What?_ ”

His kingdom couldn’t be _gone_. His _people_ … his _family_ … his _mother_... What’d happened to his mother? What had Obadiah done to her once Tony was out of the way?

Bucky looked distinctly uncomfortable. He shifted against the bed of hay the farmer had put out for him in the barn where he was hiding from HYDRA. They would have to leave tomorrow if they wanted to reach Bucky’s kingdom in time to bring them news of the upcoming attack. They wouldn’t be able to bring _any_ news if Bucky got recaptured, though.

“There’ll be someone in Queen Carter’s court who’ll know more,” Bucky tried to assure him, even if it did very little good. “Coulson is the court records keeper. I’m sure he’ll be able to tell you all about what happened.”

Tony could only nod, feeling shell-shocked.

“Right. Well, you get some sleep. I’ll keep watch tonight.”

Which he did every night anyway, since he didn’t need sleep and having something to do for Bucky meant that the mirror stayed in use and he wasn’t spirited back to the black nothingness. The knight looked miserable, but did as he was told, extinguishing his torch and shifting a bit to get comfortable.

“Tony,” he spoke some time later, quiet even in the hush of night, “I’m sorry.”

Tony couldn’t bring himself to answer.

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_My Path is at Its End_

_Now I’d Like_

_You to Meet a Friend_

“Tony, this is Steve Rogers, captain of the guard and the knights of the SHIELD, also known as the dumb punk I had to spend half my life pulling out of back-alley fist fights.”

The huge, beefy blond blinked owlishly at Tony through the mirror.

“Hello,” he greeted, seeming a bit off-kilter.

That was fair enough. It wasn’t every day you encountered a powerful magical item. Bucky had already shared that, though magic had by no means disappeared completely, it was certainly a hell of a lot rarer these days than it had been during Tony’s time.

“Captain,” Tony greeted right back with a serious nod.

“Bucky’s told me a bit about your situation. And what you’ve done to help him. He wouldn’t have been able to escape HYDRA without your help.”

“He’s resourceful, and highly motivated,” Tony protested. “He would have found a way out.”

“Still,” Steve insisted. “Anything you need. It’s the least we can do.”

“Well, now that you mention it,” Bucky said as he leaned towards Steve with a shit-eating grin, “we do need someone to sweet talk Coulson into bending a few rules and maybe look through a few restricted records.”

Steve groaned and turned bright red.

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_I’ve a Tale to Tell_

_So Please Wake Up_

_And Listen Well_

“The kingdom of Machinor’s last king was King Howard William Stark. His surviving heir, the crowned prince Anthony Edward Stark, _you_ , I presume,” Coulson gave Tony a meaningful look, “disappeared without a trace the day after his death. After that, the king’s advisor, Obadiah Stane took the throne and renamed the kingdom Macula. He was later killed by his son Ezekiel who ruled Macula for a scant six years before it was taken over by invaders.”

Tony squeezed his eyes tightly shut, not that it did any good. The magic of the mirror meant he still knew everything that was going on.

“And Queen Maria?” he managed to choke out through a throat that no longer existed. “King Howard’s wife? What became of her?”

Coulson closed the scroll he was looking over and placed it carefully on the drawing table.

“I’m afraid it doesn’t say, your highness.”

If Tony still had a heart, he thought it might be breaking.

“My kingdom is gone,” he corrected, “and my people with it. I am no longer royalty. I have no title.”

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_Please Don’t Hide_

_Despite Your Pain_

_There’s Good Outside_

“I have good news,” Bucky greeted him, sounding hopeful but cautious.

It made Tony feel guilty for his recent behavior. He just hadn’t been feeling very social. Everything he’d been fighting to come back to was gone. What was even the point anymore? But Bucky was getting worried. He didn’t deserve to have to deal with Tony’s surliness.

“Yeah?”

“Queen Carter has called for Bruce Banner, the foremost scholar in magic in the whole kingdom. If anyone will have an idea of how to get you out of this mirror, it’ll be him.”

Tony tried to muster up some enthusiasm for the idea, but it was a struggle.

“That’s great,” he said, the words sounding flat even to his own ears.

The tentative smile fell right off Bucky’s face.

“I thought you wanted to get out.”

“I did. I just… What do I have to get out _for_ anymore?”

Bucky’s gaze darted away before coming back to meet Tony’s own, a determined gleam to them.

“The future,” he said. “You never know what it might hold. You might even find something you like in it.”

Tony wasn’t sure if he wanted to curse the magic of the mirror or thank it for the immediate knowledge of _exactly_ what Bucky was hinting at. He settled on grudging gratitude.

“That… Yeah, I think I could look forward to that.”

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_Help is Here_

_Bruce Has Come_

_To Lend an Ear_

Bruce was _brilliant_ and Tony loved him. In a strictly platonic, scholar bros kind of way, of course. The man was far too modest, but he settled in with Tony quickly enough as soon as things turned technical. After about the first hour, Bucky decided to leave them to it, which said a lot all by itself. Bucky didn’t leave Tony’s mirror with _anyone_. He was only going to grab some food from the kitchens for himself and Bruce, but still.

“The magic that binds you inside of the mirror is dark magic,” Bruce said with a sigh. “ _Powerful_ dark magic. It’s filled with anger and jealousy. You’ll need something just as powerful to counteract it. I don’t know of any mages around today who would have the power to make that happen. Steven Strange might have been able to do it, but no one has seen him since he disappeared through a portal three years ago.”

“What about a magical creature? Phoenix fire was always the go-to purifier in my time.”

Bruce blinked owlishly at him.

“Phoenix actually existed? You’ve seen one?”

“I _had_ one. Vision helped me in my forge.”

Bruce sat down hard. Tony was a little worried he’d broken the poor guy.

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_Shining Bright_

_Please Confirm_

_I Have This Right_

“A unicorn,” Bucky said disbelievingly. “We’re looking for a unicorn?”

“They’re the purest magical creature in existence. And thanks to the handy-dandy magic of my all-knowing mirror cage, I know exactly where to find one.”

Bucky sighed.

“Let me guess, it’s in some far-off, nigh inaccessible forest surrounded by enchantments and dangerous beasts to keep itself protected.”

Tony’s grin widened until it was just shy of painful.

“Not quite. You’re close, though.”

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_Show Me True_

_All That Appears_

_Before You_

“You’re sure this is the right place?”

Bucky sounded unconvinced which, really, was just downright insulting.

“Have I ever steered you wrong before?”

“No, but… Here? Really?”

“Yes, really. Now turn me around so the mirror will reflect which one is the unicorn.”

Bucky still didn’t look completely convinced, but he did as he was told anyway. If anyone in the market thought it was strange that a royal knight was talking to a hand mirror and checking the reflections of all the animals up for sale, they didn’t say anything.

“No… no… Yes! That one! The goat!”

Bucky stared at him, or rather the image of a pure white unicorn wreathed in light, before looking back toward the bored, cud-chewing animal in the pen.

“Right. I’ll, uh, just go handle the purchase, shall I?”

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_The Time Has Come_

_Let All This_

_Finally Be Done_

The unicorn’s tear rippled across the surface of the mirror like a drop of rain into a puddle and Tony _felt it._ There was a pulling and a squeezing and then _sensation_. There was simultaneously so much more and so much less than there had been before. The all-knowing magic, that constant, powerful sensation was gone. It’d just _vanished_.

In its place was… _him_.

His knees buckled and Tony would have hit the ground if Bucky hadn’t grabbed him around the waist and pulled him close. Their bodies pressed against each other and Tony nearly cried himself at the feeling of another’s warmth. His trembling hands rose to wind tightly into Bucky’s hair.

“Bucky-“ he choked out, and the knight grinned down at him, his face only a breath away from Tony’s own.

“I know.”

And then his lips were on Tony’s and _that…_ That was Tony’s favorite sensation of all.

.

_Mirror, Mirror_

_This is True_

_There is None I Love_

_As True as You_

**Author's Note:**

> I am considering posting a bit of the original novel I've been working on for a while now. Would anyone be interested in reading it? 
> 
> Also, dreamingdarkly, I really, REALLY liked your prompt with Tony and Bucky as detective partners... Only I want to turn it into an endgame threesome of FrostIronWinter. With your okay for that pairing, I will happily write that fic, too.


End file.
